Dispenser bottle with hanging strap

ABSTRACT

A bottle which is provided with an adjustable strap for hanging the bottle from a suitable support. A vertically extending groove is formed on one side of the bottle with at least one pair of ears projecting toward one another from opposite sides of the groove. The hanger strap has a generally flat elongated portion which is slidably received in the groove. The projecting ears engage the strap with sufficient friction so that it does not tend to slide freely. The free end of the strap has a hook-like configuration and the end of the bottle adjacent the groove may have a stepped configuration to receive this hook-like portion when the strap is fully retracted.

United States Patent [191 Buchtel 1 Oct. 30, 1973 DISPENSER BOTTLE WITHHANGING STRAP [75] Inventor: Dean 11. Buchtel, Canton, Ohio [73]Assignees: Robert C. Dye; Frank L. Buchtel; Harold H. Kehoe, Canton;Edwin W. Oldham, Akron, Ohio, part interest to each [22] Filed: Nov. 29,1971 [21] Appl. No.: 202,906

[52] US. Cl 215/100 R, 222/181, 248/359 [51] int. Cl B65d 25/22 [58]Field of Search 215/100 A, 100 R; 222/180, 181; 248/359, 360

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,627,177 12/1971 Marcus....222/181 3,369,690 2/1968 Hayes 215/1 C UX 2,842,277 7/1958 Jewell"215/100 A 2,980,277 4/1961 Ganz 215/100 R Primary Examiner-Donald F.Norton AttorneyVern L. Oldham et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A bottle which is provided with an adjustable strap forhanging the bottle from a suitable support. A vertically extendinggroove is formed on one side of the bottle with at least one pair ofears projecting toward one another from opposite sides of the groove.The

hanger strap has a generally flat elongated portion which is slidablyreceived in the groove. The projecting ears engage the strap withsufficient friction so that it does not tend to slide freely. The freeend of the strap has a hook-like configuration and the end of the bottleadjacent the groove may have a stepped configuration to receive thishook-like portion when the strap is fully retracted.

5 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEBUBT 30 ms SHEET 1 [IF 2 mmmm3.768.684

SHEET 2 OF 2 DISPENSER BOTTLE WITH HANGING STRAP The present inventionrelates to a hanger arrangement for a bottle, such as a dispensingbottle, and more particularly to an improved adjustable hanging strapand bottle combination.

Various bottle hanging arrangements have been proposed hereto-fore.These include wire frames which encircle the bottle, clamp type hangers,and hooks which are formed integrally with the bottle. Among thedisadvan-tages of these prior bottle hanging arrangements are highcosts, complexity of the assembly, and the lack of adjustability. t

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improvedhanging means for a bottle.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a bottle hangingarrangement which may be adjusted to vary the vertical distance betweenthe bottle and the attachment point.

A further object of the invention is the provision of bottle hangingmeans which may be inexpensively produced and which forms an attractiveunit so that the bottle and hanger may be packaged and sold as a singledisposable unit.

The above and others objects of the invention which will become apparentin the following detailed description are achieved by providing a bottlehanging assembly which consists, essentially, of a molded bottle havinga groove extending vertically along one side thereof from the base, atleast two ears projecting from opposite sides of the groove, and ahanger strap which has an elongated portion slidably received with thegroove and passing beneath the ears, the hanger strap having a hook-likeend.

Fora more complete understanding of the invention and the objects andadvantages thereof reference should be had to the following detaileddescription and the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the bottle and hanger strapassembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bottle and hanger strapassembly of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the strap removed from the bottle;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line5-5 of FIG. 1; 1

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the bottom portion of thebottle; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the bottle and hanger assembly inuse.

The reference numeral 10 designates generally a bottle which is providedwith a hanger strap 12. The bottle 10 is preferably a blow moldedplastic bottle and has a recess or groove 14 extending vertically on oneof the side walls 16 of the bottle from the bottom 18. As can be seenmost clearly from FIGS. 1 and 5, the groove 14 is a broad, shallowgroove with parallel side walls. The top or open end of the bottle 20may be provided with any suitable cap or dispensing nozzle, theparticular nozzle depending on the use to which the bottle is placed.

In at least one region on each side of the groove 14 there is provided alug or ear 22 which projects into the groove 14, the lugs 22 on eachside of the groove being aligned with one another. The bottom wall 18 ofthe bottle may be provided with an enlarged recess 24 at the end ofgroove 14. As will become apparent below,

this recess 24 receives the hook portion of the hanger strap 12 when thestrap is in its fully retracted position.

The hanger strap is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The strap 12 ispreferably forward of a plastic material and has an elongated generallyflat portion 26 which is of a width only slightly less than that of theslot 14 of the bottle 10. Preferably, a rib 28 extends centrally alongsubstantially the entire length of the flat portion 26. The upper end ofthe strap 12 is bent or angled as indicated at 30-36 to provide adownwardly opening hook 38 which may be engaged on a suitable support.

As can be seen most clearly from FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the body portion 26of the strap 12 is received within the groove 14 of the bottle 10 withthe strap passing under the projecting lugs 22. The dimensions of therib 28 of the strap and the lugs 22 are such that the flat portions 26of the strap are bent slightly as the strap passes under the lugs. Thisarrangement provides for a tight sliding fit between the strap and thebottle so that the strap does not move freely. Preferably, thefrictional engagement is sufficient so that the strap will remain in anyposition after it has been moved to such a position by hand and thebottle does not tend to slide along the strap even when completelyfilled with liquid.

One possible use of the bottle and strap assembly of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 7 where the bottle contains adeoderizing and/or disinfecting solution which is desired to bedispensed into the water in the tank of a flush toilet to deoderize anddisinfect the toilet bowl. It will be understood that the opening 20 ofthe bottle is provided with a suitable dispensing nozzle which may, forexample, be the nozzle assembly shown in my co-pending patentapplication, Ser. No. 202,905, filed Nov. 29, 1971 for Dispenser.However, any suitable dispensing nozzle may be employed. The hook 38 ofthe strap 12 is engaged on the tank wall so that the bottle depends intothe tank. By sliding the bottle 10 along the strap 12 the bottleposition may be adjusted to that at which the proper quantity of fluidis dispensed with the rising and falling of the water in the toilettank.

The invention contemplates that the bottle and hanger strap assembly maybe sold as a disposable unit, the strap being moved to its fullyretracted position with the hook 38 received within the enlarged notch24 of the bottle 10 for packaging and shipment and the strapsubsequently pulled partially out of the groove 14. Since both thebottle and the strap may be formed of plastic by suitable moldingoperations, they may be inexpensively produced.

While only the best known embodiment of the invention has beenillustrated and described in detail herein it will be understood thatthe invention is not limited thereto or thereby. Reference shouldtherefore be had to the appended claims in determining the true scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A bottle of the liquid dispensing type and a hanger v strap assemblytherefor, comprising:

a bottle including side walls and a bottom wall having a broad, shallowgroove extending along one side wall thereof from the edge of the sideadjacent the bottom wall toward the other end of the bottle;

at least one pair of lugs secured to the bottle on opposite sides of thegroove and projecting toward one another to partially overlie thegroove; and

a hanger strap having an elongated body portion slidably received in thegroove and passing under the lugs in manual frictional sliding relation,but the frictional engagement being sufficient so there is no slidingrelationship between the bottle and strap with the full bottle suspendedin an inverted position by the strap from the end thereof adjacent thebottom wall of the bottle.

2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the end of the strapprojecting from the groove adjacent the bottom wall of the bottle has ahook-like configuration.

3. The assembly according to claim 2 wherein the hook-like end of thestrap extends from the side of the strap adjacent the bottle and thebottom wall of the bottle adjacent the groove is notched to receive thestrap end when the strap is fully inserted in the groove.

4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the body portion of thehanger strap has a central rib extending substantially the entire lengththereof, the rib being positioned so that the lateral edges of the bodyportion are spaced from the groove wall.

5. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the bottle is a blow moldedplastic bottle and the lugs are formed integrally with the bottle.

1. A bottle of the liquid dispensing type and a hanger strap assemblytherefor, comprising: a bottle including side walls and a bottom wallhaving a broad, shallow groove extending along one side wall thereoffrom the edge of the side adjacent the bottom wall toward the other endof the bottle; at least one pair of lugs secured to the bottle onopposite sides of the groove and projecting toward one another topartially overlie the groove; and a hanger strap having an elongatedbody portion slidably received in the groove and passing under the lugsin manual frictional sliding relation, but the frictional engagementbeing sufficient so there is no sliding relationship between the bottleand strap with the full bottle suspended in an inverted position by thestrap from the end thereof adjacent the bottom wall of the bottle. 2.The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the end of the strapprojecting from the groove adjacent the bottom wall of the bottle has ahook-like configuration.
 3. The assembly according to claim 2 whereinthe hook-like end of the strap extends from the side of the strapadjacent the bottle and the bottom wall of the bottle adjacent thegroove is notched to receive the strap end when the strap is fullyinserted in the groove.
 4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein thebody portion of the hanger strap has a central rib extendingsubstantially the entire length thereof, the rib being positioned sothat the lateral edges of the body portion are spaced from the groovewall.
 5. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the bottle is a blowmolded plastic bottle and the lugs are formed integrally with thebottle.